The Islamic Resistance Movement (HAMAS) welcomes the resolution adopted at the 54th National Conference of the African National Congress in South Africa, which calls for the downgrading of South Africa’s diplomatic relations with the Zionist entity.

According to the final declaration of the conference, “Delegates endorsed the proposal that we must give practical support to the oppressed people of Palestine and resolved on an immediate and unconditional downgrade of the SA embassy in Israel to a Liaison Office”.

We commend the members, branches, provinces and other structures of the ANC for this determined decision which expresses the solidarity of millions of South Africans with the people and struggle of Palestine.

The ANC resolution followed a great deal of debate sparked by a recommendation of the ANC’s Policy Conference in July, which called for the South African embassy in Tel Aviv to either be shut down or downgraded. We salute ANC members and activists in South Africa’s Palestine solidarity movement who worked tirelessly to ensure that the recommendation was well understood by ANC members and delegates to the conference, and who convinced South Africans that it was the correct moral and ethical decision for their country.

We salute the South African people for their sumud (steadfastness) in support of the Palestinian people and we are proud to be associated with the members of a movement such as the ANC which took such a strong stance against Zionist oppression. Together with the delegates at the ANC conference, we now call on the ANC in government to heed the call from the ruling party’s members and to downgrade its diplomatic links with the Zionist apartheid state.

The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), Palestine

Thursday 21^ST December 2017